Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 17, 1939. w. 1.. BEEBE 2,176,289

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet I INVENTOR.

By 10% A RNEYS.

45 cycle of operation may be starteduAny desired Figure 7 is'a Secfi'dY-i-l i bee ight v 45 Patented Oct. 17, v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFBIGERATING APPARATUS Ward L. Beebe, St. Paul, Minn. Application January 14, 1938,- Serial No. 184,990

' 11 Claims. (Cl. 62 91.5)

7 My invention relates to an improvement in reinvention to provide valves connecting the presfrig'erating systems wherein it is desired to pro surefchamber and the receiving Compartment 'videa system employing solidified carbon dioxide which are operated by floats which act to seal or similar material as the cooling medium. It isthe compression chamber when the liquid refrigalso the object of the present invention to provide erant reaches a predetermined level in the coma device employing solidified carbon dioxide or pression chamber and which operate to break the similar material for operation of the same. seal between the compartments when the liquid In the past it has been desired to use'material reaches a predetermined level in the receiving such as solidified carbon dioxide for refrigerating compartment. Such floats are positive in action 10 systems. These systemshave in some cases used, d f m Virtually all Of the moving parts f e the surplusof evaporated carbon dioxide gas to, device. I

affect the circulation of the refrigerating medium. It is any added object of my invention' to pro- Attempts have been previously made to bontrol videa device for containing solid carbon dioxide the refrigeration employing carbon dioxide in or similar material for permitting the material to solid form in one way or another. f v be inserted in superimposed blocks or layers. The F The present invention discloses a simple, and lower-most block or layer or the lower-most series effective device for controllingthe refrigerating of blocks or layers is preferably in contact withsystem whereby the device operates automatical- .the liquid refrigerantso that the heat in'the rev ly as long as, the cooling isdesired and may be frigerator isdissip'ated through contact with the so stoppedin asimple manner through the usebf a s d mat r s h s, construction permits th suitable valve when cooling is no longer necesoperation of my device as an automatically fed sary. I v 7 p i v j cooling unit andperznits the solid carbon'dioxide It is the purpose of; the present'in vention to a to be fed into the refrigerant as it is evaporated. provid'ea device embodyingapressure chamber These and other objects and novel features of u and an open chamber and arranging these ch'arnmy invention will be more clearly and fully set bers in such a 'waythat pressure created in the, forth in the following specification and claims.

pressure chamber by the evaporation of 'thesolid In the drawings forming'a part of my specificacarbon dioxide will create a flow of refrigerant tion: v I through a systern of coils or anysuitable refriger Figure 1 is a perspective view: of my "device il so ating system. 'I iheflowof the refrigerantthroughlustrat n 'lthe ar e nt f pa t th r in. 8

. th system may be-stopped at any time by merely ,g' Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through my venting the evaporated gas to prevent the builddevice diagrammatically illustrating the opera- 1 ing up of a pressure within the pressurechambention of the same.' 1

It -.isa feature of my vinvention to .provide-.-a igure 3 isa perspectiv vi w of a block of li system in which the. refrigerant is forced by pres-V l 1 l e i t ei 1F18- 35 sure'through the refrigerating systeminto an L nd Q open chamber. The compression chamber 1 Figure 4 illustrates a slightly differentform of k A sealedby suitable .valve .means untiLa certain block used .fOIj the. p r t on of th e -J A amount of therefrigerant has been forced-into Figure 5 s a Pe p ws i a 150 Figure 40 the receiving'ychamber... ,A= means is providedfor 1, t wi difiefently S p d e pa 't- 40 openingtthe ivalve separating; the: pressure and ment containing the device. I receiving chambers to. permit. the refrigerant to Figurefi il us t s a rin f en d x m flow' quickly: into the compressioni chamber, l which m v il j n v l st whereuponithe valve: is again: closed-and a new in Figure a l I source of pressure may be provided for circulating modified rm of c s u therefrigera'ntinplace of carbon dioxide. u a es, e ion' he m es It :is a feature of thelpresent invention that form of copst e't onf j the mechanism necessary for operating. thesame My refr e r me ,eOntrOl 11ml; j compl'lses a is simple-and may be made at an extremely low ,closed container Ill includinga central'pressure 50 cost- There are f ew moving parts in the entire chamber v ll and in egrally connected side feed device, and accordingly, the system will operate azine co pa pa n automatically with'little or no attention over a l2 are closed at the top by means of removable long, period of time. 1 covers l3 which are attached to the top of the It is also a feature in the preferred form of my magazines l2 to prevent the leakage of pressure 1 is provided with a suitable vent at the top to per-- mit this open compartment I4 to remain at atmospheric-pressure at all times.

At the bottom of the pressure chamber or compartment II, I provide an outlet I5 connected to a pipe line I6 extending through refrigerating coils I1 or through a suitable heat transfer device. The coil I 1 is connected at the top I9 to the pipe 20 which delivers the refrigerant into the open compartment I4.

A check valve 2| is provided in the pipe I6 to prevent refrigerant from within the coil I1 from flowing back into the pressure chamber II and if desired, an expansion tank 22 may be provided in the system for maintaining a proper pressure within the pipe. If the expansion tank 22 is provided, the end 23 of the pipe 20 is restricted to enable a pressure to be built up within the expansion tank 22.

At the top of the pressure compartment II, separating this compartment from the open compartment I4, I provide a partition 24. An opening 25 is formed in this partition 24 preferably having a downwardly extending circular flange 26 extending peripherally thereabout. A float valve- 21 having a tapered surface 29 is adapted to seat upon the flange 26 sealing the opening 25. This float valve 29 is supported when in open position by a valve stem 30 which extends through a bracket 3| bridging the opening 25. A nut 32 threaded on the valve stem 30 engages the bridge 3| to preventQ-the float 21 from dropping more than a predetermined amount, and this bridge and stem act to guide the float valve 21 into proper position as the same closes.

A second valve 33 having a frustro-conical surface 34 engages within the tube 35 extending through the partition 24 toa point adjacent the p of the same. A valve 33 is provided with a stem 36 having a forked yoke 31 at the top of the same which engages a cross member 39 in the tube 35 to prevent the valve 33 from dropping more than a predetermined amount.

. A bracket 40 is mounted on the outside of the tube 35 to form a pivotal support at H for a lever 42 engaging between the bifurcated ends of the forked yoke 31. This construction is best illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. The lever 42 is connected by a link 43 to a float hinged at 45 to the wall of the receiving compartment I4.

In operation, the refrigerant which may be alcohol or other liquid material having a low freezing point, is poured into the open compartment I4 and flows throughthe opening 25 about the valve 21 until liquid rises sufficiently to raise the valve 21 into engagement with the valve seat 25. The cakes or blocks of solid carbon dioxide or other similar material indicated at 45 are fed into the magazines I2 through the top covers I3, and these covers I3 are then fastened in position. The liquidrgfrigerant is cooled to a considerable extent by the carbondioxide and a small quantity of the solid is evaporated. This evaporation creates a pressure above the liquid in the compartment II as the opening 25 is closed by the float valve 21 ment II, the liquid refrigerant is forced downwardly through the outlet I5 and the pipe I6, past the check valve 2| and flows through the refrigerating coil or heat transfer member I1. This action takes place until sufficient of the refrigerant has been forced through the system I and forced into the open compartment I4 to raise the refrigerant level in this upper compartment I4 to pivot the float 44 into the positionv illustrated by dotted outline in Figure 2 of the drawings. This action acts through the link 43 to raise one end of the lever 42 urging the opposite end of this lever downwardly against the forked yoke 31 pressing the rod 36 downwardly and releasing the valve 33 from engagement with the tube 35. This sudden release of pressure from the compartment II permits the float valve 21 to drop into the position indicated by dotted outline in Figure 2 and the refrigerant within the upper compartment I4 drops through this opening 25 into the pressure compartment II. The lower compartment thus fills with liquid until the float'valves' 21 and 33 are again floated upwardly into engagement with the seat 25 and the lower end of the tube 35 respectively sealing the lower compartment and permitting pressure to build up within the same to start another cycle of operation.

It will be seen that the valves 21 and 33 are closed by the raising of the liquid level within the lower'compartment. However, when pressure builds up within the compartment II, this pressure holds the valves 21 and 33 in raised position to seal the opening 25 and the tube 35 until the pressure is released by operation of the float 44. Accordingly, very few moving parts are necessary, and these parts are merely floats or pivoted levers which will not easily get out of operating order.

In order to prevent the cooling system from operation continuously as long as the carbon dioxide 45 is present, a suitable thermostatic valve is provided. This valve may be attached as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings if desired, the tubular member 41 connecting with the top of the lower chamber II. The valve 49 controls the flow through this pipe and when the temperature is above a predetermined maximum, the valve 49 is closed to permit operation of the device, but when the temperature reaches 1 carbon dioxide evaporates causing these blocks to decrease in size. Because of the constant contact of the lowermost blocks with the refrigerant, these lowermost blocks will decrease in size more quickly than the upper blocks.

In Figure 5'of the drawings I have disclosed a device which is entirely similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that the casing III is circular in shape. In this construction, the magazine 5I for the solid carbon dioxide is ring-shaped and extends entirely about the compartments II and I4. The cover 52 is circular rather than rectangular. In cross section, the refrigerating device B would be virtually identical with that disclosed in Figure 2 of the drawings. When the device B is of the shape illustrated in Figure 5, ring-shaped cakes of solid carbon dioxide indicated at 53 in Figure 6 of the drawings are used in place of the blocks 45 or 59. t

In Figure 7 of the drawings, I disclose refrigerating device C very similar to the devices A and B. The refrigerator C includes a pair of oppositely disposed magazines 54 adapted to contain blocks of solid carbon dioxide or other suitable fuel indicated at 55, and which magazines are closed at the top by suitable covers 56 which hold the pressure within the magazines 54.

- an open compartment 63.

Bellows 51 are designed to flt within the top of the magazines 54 to fill up this space. These bellows are readily expandable and are secured to the covers 55 at the top and are provided with v a weighted bottom 59. As the bellows 51 expand gas is permitted to enter the same through a check valve 50 which seals the gas in the bellows until manually released. The bellows 5'l fill the space above the blocks of solid carbon dioxide 55 and prevent the necessity of fllling this upper portion of the magazines 54 with gas during each cycle of operation of the refriger-,

ating system.

Connected between the magazines 54 and forming a part of these magazines, I provide a pressure chamber SI for accommodating liquid refrigerant which may contact the lowermost blocks 55 of carbon dioxide. Immediately above the compression chamber 5| I provide a storage reservoir 92 and above the chamber 62 I provide The pressure chamber or compartment (ii is provided with a drain outlet 64 extending through a valve 65. A pipe line 66 connected to the valve contains a check valve 51 and extends through a suitable cooling or refrigerating system. A return flow pipe 69 is provided extending from the refrigerating coils or heat transfer mechanism which delivers the liquid refrigerant back into the open chamber. 63.

A tube 19 connects the chamber 53 and the pressure chamber 9i and is provided at its lower end with a float valve II. This valve is supported by a valverod l2 equipped with a nut 13 which engages a strip 14 bridging the top of the tube". A second tube 15 extends into the pressure chamber Bl through the reservoir chamber 62 and above the liquid level of chamber 93. This tube 15 is provided with vent openings 16 near the top of the reservoir chamber 52 to permit this chamber 62 to be open to atmospheric pressure at all times. A float valve 11' closes the bottom of the tube 15 and is supported by a valve rod 19 having a forked end 80 between which a lever 8| may extend. The lever BI is pivoted at 82 to a bracket 93 mounted at the top of the tube 15, and is connected at its opposite end by a pivoted link 84 to a float valve 85,

As long as the valve 65 is in the position illustrated the device C operates in a manner identivalve rod 19 downwardly urging the float valve 11 out of contact with the tube 15 and breaking the seal into the pressure compartment, thus permitting the valve H to drop and to permit the refrigerant withinthe compartment 92 to drop into the compartment BI and start a new cycle of operation. If, however, the thermostatic control 99 reaches a predetermined minimum, a contact is made to the time solenoid 81 which opens 5 the valve for a predetermined length of time, whereupon the liquid refrigerant is forced by the pressure within the compression chamber Bl through the outlet and valve 95 and through the vertical tube 99 into the compartment 52. 10 When the thermostat 96 reaches a predetermined maximum the solenoid 91 is again operated to open the valve for a predetermined length of time, thereby permitting the liquid refrigerantto flow back into the pressure compartment SI 15 to start a new cycle of operation.

It will be obvious that the refrigerant during this time will be out of contact with the solid carbon dioxide. thereby slowing the evaporization of the same. It will also be clear that when the 20 liquid has flowed out of compartment 6| the seal holding the valves II and 11 will be broken permitting any gas formed by evaporization of the carbon dioxide to escape through the tubes 75 and I5. 25

In Figure 8 of the drawings, I disclose a refrigerating device having magazines 99 which are entirely sealed by covers 9| but which are provided with vent tubes 92 which extend above the liquid refrigerant level of the pressure chamber 93. The pressure chamber 93 surrounds the lower portion of the magazines but the liquid refrigerant is not in direct contact with the solid carbon dioxide. The operation of this device is entirely similar to that described previously in con- 35 nection with Figure 2, float valves 94 and 95 sealing the opening 95 and tube 91 respectively. When the liquid level in the open receiving compartment 99 reaches a predetermined level, the float valve'llll raises. operating the lever IOI pivoted at I92 to urge the valve rod I99 downwardly to release the pressure in the pressure compartment 93.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and oper- 45 ation of my refrigerating system and apparatus,

and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that this is only illustrative of a means of carrying out my invention, and that obvious 50 changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

i. A refrigerating system comprising a heat 55 transfer apparatus, a pipe-line extending through said heat transfer apparatus, a pressure compartment secured to one end of said pipeline, an open compartment for receiving liquid from the other end of said pipe-line, and means 60 connecting said receiving compartment and said pressure compartment to permit refrigerant to pass from said receiving compartment to said pressure compartment, valve means controlled by the liquid level in said receiving compartment 65 interposed in said connecting means, and a carbon dioxide magazine connected to said pressure compartment to permit the refrigerant within said pressure chamber to be cooled by the carbon dioxide in said magazine.

2. A refrigerating system comprising a pressure tank adapted to contain refrigerant and solid carbon dioxide, a pipe-line extending from said pressure compartment, an open compartment into which said pipe-line extends. a pas- .75

sageway between said compartments through which refrigerant may flow, and a float valve in said passage.

3. A refrigerating system comprising a pressure compartment, an open compartment superimposed upon .said pressure compartment, a passageway between said compartments, through which liquid may flow, a float valve in said passageway, a refrigerant within said pressure compartment adapted to close said float valve upon reaching a predetermined level, solidified carbon dixide in said pressure compartment, and a pipeline connecting said pressure compartment to said open compartment whereby refrigerant insaid pressure compartment may be forced by pressure of evaporated carbon dioxide into said open compartment.

4. A refrigerating system comprising a sealed compartment adapted to contain a refrigerant and solidified carbon dioxide, an open compartment above said sealed compartment, a passageway between said compartments, a float valve in said passageway, a pipe-line connecting said sealed compartment and said open compartment through which refrigerant may be forced by evaporated carbon dioxide, and means controlled by the liquid level in said open compartment for opening said float valve to permit the refrigerant to flow through said passage into said sealed compartment when the refrigerant reaches a predetermined level in said open compartment.

5. A refrigerating system comprising a sealed compartment adapted to contain a refrigerant and solid carbon dioxide, an open compartment, a passage between said compartments, a float valve for said passageway adapted to be closed by refrigerant in said sealed compartment and maintained in closed position by pressure of evaporated carbon dioxide, a passage from said sealed compartment to said open compartment through which said refrigerant may be forced by pressure of evaporated carbon dioxide, and means for reducing the pressure within said sealed compartment when said refrigerant reaches a predetermined level in said open compartment to permit said float valve to open said first named passageway.

6. A refrigerating unit comprising a pair of superimposed chambers, the lowermost of said chambers providing a pressure compartment and the upper of said chambers providing an open compartment, said pressure compartment adapted to contain refrigerant and solid carbon dioxide, a passage between said compartments through which refrigerant may flow from said open compartment tonsaid pressure compartment, a float valve in said passage operated by refrigerant in said pressure compartment to close said passage, said float valve being maintained in closed position by pressure of evaporated carbon dioxide, a passage in said pressure compartment extending above the level of refrigerant in said open chamber, a second float valve in said last named passage adapted to be closed by refrigerant in said pressure compartment and maintained in closed position by pressure of evaporated carbon dioxide, a cooling system 'connected to said pressure compartment through which the refrigerant may flow from said pressure compartment to said open compartment, andmeans operated by the level of refrigerant in said open compartment to operate said second float valve to release the pressure in said pressure compartment and to permit the refrigerant to pass from said opencompartment to said pressure compartment.

,7. A refrigerating system comprising a pressure compartment adapted to contain a liquid refrigerant and solid carbon dioxide, an open compartment, a passage between said open compartment and said pressure compartment, a float valve in said passage adapted to be closed by said refrigerant and maintained in closed position by pressure of evaporated carbon dioxide, a second passage between said compartments extending above the level of refrigerant in said open compartment, a second float valve in said second passage operated in a manner similar to said first float valve, a float in said open compartment adapted to be raised by refrigerant in said open compartment, and means connecting said float and said second float valve to open said second float valve when said float reaches a certain predetermined elevation to release pressure in said pressure compartment to open said first named float valve to permit the refrigerant to flow through said first passage from said open compartment to said pressure compartment.

8. A refrigerating system comprising a pres sure compartment adapted to contain refrigerant and solid carbon dioxide, an open compartment above said pressure compartment, valve means connecting said compartments to permit the refrigerant to flow from said open compartment to said pressure compartment, refrigerator coil means connected to said pressure compartment through which refrigerant may be forced into said open compartment, a passage between said compartments extending above the level of refrigerant in said open compartment, a valve in said passage, a float in said open compartment, a 'lever pivotally connected to, said valve in said second passage to operate the same, means connectingsaid float and said lever to operate said lever when said float reaches a predetermined level to open said valve to release pressure within said pressure compartment whereby said first named valve may open to permit refrigerant to flow from said open compartment into said pressure compartment.

9. A refrigerating system comprising a pressure compartment, a receiving compartment, and a reservoir compartment, a carbon dioxide magazine associated with said pressure compartment to cool liquid refrigerant therein, and

to deliver evaporated gas thereto to create a valve, to operate said valve to direct refrigerant into said reservoir compartment when a. predetermined low temperature is reached.

-10. A refrigerating system including a pressure chamber, a magazine for said carbon dioxide connected to said pressure chamber, an expandable member filling the space above said carbon dioxide in said pressure chamber and a check valve in said member to automatically admit gas under pressure.

'11. A refrigerating unit comprising a pair'of chambers one of'which is positioned above the level of the other, the lowermost of said chambers providing a pressure compartment and the upper of said chambers providing an opencompartment, said pressure compartment adapted to contain refrigerant and a solid gas emitting cooling agent, a passage between said compartments through which refrigerant may flow from the open compartment to said pressure compartment, 9. float valve in said passage operated by refrigerant in said pressure compartment to close said passage, said float valve being maintained in closed position by pressure of evaporated cooling agent, a passage in said pressure compartment connecting said pressure compartment with atmospheric pressure, a second float valve in said last named passage adapted to be closed by refrigerant in said pressure compartment and maintained in closedposition by pressure of evaporated cooling agent, a cooling system connected to said pressure compartment through which a refrigerant may flow from said pressure compartment to said open compartment, and means operated by the level of refrigerant in said open compartment to operate said second float valve to release the pressure in said pressure compartment and to permit the refrigerant to pass from said open compartment to said 10 pressure compartment.

WARD L. BEEBE. 

